Materials handling related articles

There are 26 articles related to materials handling.

A new look at lift trucks: New environmental regulations lead to new material handling engine technologies 

California is on the leading edge of environmental protectionism, and because it is such a large industrial market, the state's environmental regulations are influencing what metal fabricators might be drivng in their facilities.
By: Dan Davis, Editor-in-Chief - The FABRICATOR®, 7/15/08
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The finer points of coil handling for fineblanking: Selecting equipment to produce flat, straight strip 

Fineblanking operations require a heavy-duty press and special tooling. To produce straight, flat strip for the press and feed, stampers need a coil cradle, coil end peeler, debender, and hold-down arm, straightener, loop control.
By: Eilert Bruns - The FABRICATOR®, 5/13/08
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Extend conveyor life with maintenance, modification: Avoid line shutdown 

To the naked eye, conveyor design doesn't look looks it has progressed much in 40 years. The conveyors of today are engineered with unique design elements and innovations that make them more versatile than ever for today’s metal stamping applications. A conveyor with the latest technologies is good...
By: Kim Stoll - www.thefabricator.com, 11/6/07
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5 ways to leaner die handling: Vertical storage and retrieval systems help shops reach for lean 

Using conventional rack and shelving systems to store and retrieve dies is inefficient and can cause damage to dies. Five critical areas of concern are space utilization, worker productivity, potential for die damage, ergonomics and cost justification. Shops can reach new lean levels by improvements...
By: Ed Romaine - The FABRICATOR®, 8/8/07
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Better safe than saw awry: Contract manufacturer promotes safety and gains efficiency by relying on lift truck and new saw loader 

When a machine operator cut a bundle of barstock open to load into a saw, the bands popped, moving the blocks that were put there to safely contain the bars. The bars fell on the operator's foot and trapped it. Not wanting to duplicate that nightmare, engineers at Kirsan Engineering, Kenosha, Wis., ...
By: Dan Davis, Editor-in-Chief - The FABRICATOR®, 7/10/07
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Improving warehouse operations for tube, pipe: Better efficiency leads to lower costs 

Analyzing your warehouse layout might reveal severe inefficiencies. Do you have the most frequently picked items scattered around, or are they located near the packing station? Organizing the warehouse so that the most frequently picked items are close to the packing station and the least frequently...
By: Frank Rubury - www.thefabricator.com, 7/10/07
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Packaging finished stampings: Protecting parts so they don't end up scrap 

Proper packaging is an essential part of the manufacturing process that often is overlooked. For stampers who outsource final part finishing, it is an even greater concern. This article explains why proper packaging is so important and gives several options for keeping part quality intact during sh...
By: Greg Yahn - www.thefabricator.com, 7/10/07
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Handling improvements in safety, efficiency: It's in the way that you move it 

Ever more stringent safety standards, driven largely by OSHA and state regulators, have led many fabricators to examine closely their material handling processes. Side loaders can provide safety benefits as well as improve material handling efficiency.
By: Eamon Devlin - The FABRICATOR®, 2/13/07
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Moving material efficiently: 4 questions to ask before purchasing a conveying system 

It's a challenge to select the most efficient conveyor for a particular application. To make the best choice, it's imperative that all operating parameters be considered.
By: John Mackowski - www.thefabricator.com, 11/7/06
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Long loads, narrow aisles, easy access: Side-loading lift truck handles cumbersome products in confined spaces 

Since starting with just one warehouse in 1989, J G Kelly Supplies has grown along with Ireland’s booming construction industry. Limiting factors such as the warehouse’s doorway width, narrow aisles, and 90-degree turns meant the company had to rely on manual labor to handle the long, cumbersome ite...
By: Eric Lundin, Editor, TPJ-The Tube & Pipe Journal® - The FABRICATOR®, 9/12/06
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Mission: Spectacular scrap handling operations: Possible: Smooth, speedy, stealthy 

Stampers, precariously squeezed by tight margins, high material costs, and increasing pressure to be leaner, have issued a request: we want our scrap handling operations to be faster, trouble-free, and more productive. Fortunately, the latest generation of scrap handling equipment makes that mission...
By: Kate Bachman, STAMPING Journal® Editor - The FABRICATOR®, 7/11/06
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Baled out: Stamper's autoloading scrap conveyor system maximizes ROI, productivity 

With growth coming fast and future expansions likely, this Tier 1 auto supplier replaced its capacity-limited scrap baling system with an autoloading conveyor system to maximize ROI and productivity.
The FABRICATOR®, 7/11/06
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West coast wrapper: Machine tool builder counts on stretch wrap technology to improve shipping operations 

Maching tool builder Haas Automation Inc. needed a new approach to minimize labor costs in its internal packaging and shipping operation. The company found its answer with the Yellow Jacket orbital stretch wrap technology.
The FABRICATOR®, 7/11/06
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Don't get stuck: Choosing the right magnetic conveying system 

Magnetic soft-belt conveyors can feed presses and transport parts from one workstation to another or from production to inspection, storage, or packaging operations. If you work with ferrous metal coils or sheets, a magnetic system may help improve plant efficiency, safety and reduce costs.
By: Mike Wilks - The FABRICATOR®, 2/7/06
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Fast-forward fabricating: Automation helps Estes Design and Manufacturing turn around jobs quickly 

A new laser cutter, a new panel bender, and two older punching and shearing combination machines, connected to a new automatedstorage-and-retieval system have helped an Indianapolis job shop stay on top of emergnecy orders that normally come its way.
The FABRICATOR®, 12/13/05
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Scrap the belt conveyors: High-volume stamper turns to shaker system for scrap removal 

The traditional belt conveyors used to remove scrap from the stamping operations at American Trim's facility on Baxter Street in Lima, Ohio, just couldn't stand up to the gritty shop environment. The company found a successful alternative with a belt-less material movement solution from GSW Press A...
By: Dan Davis, Editor-in-Chief - The FABRICATOR®, 12/13/05
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Anchor's a way down the road to improvement: Texas fabrication shop solves material handling dilemma 5 Star Article 

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By: Dan Davis, Editor-in-Chief - The FABRICATOR®, 3/8/05
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Handling appliance steel: Tips for processing surface-sensitive materials 

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By: Jim Russell, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 11/20/03
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The importance of storage planning 

Material and equipment storage can be a major concern for fabricators. Therefore, it is important to establish the purpose of a storage system and understand clearly what it needs to accomplish.
By: Joe Harnest, Contributing Writer - The FABRICATOR®, 10/23/03
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Roll out the shelving 

Just as office managers look for the most efficient way to store files, shop managers must look for efficient ways to store heavy, expensive dies. Many offices have file cabinets with an index system for locating files quickly. The shop equivalent for storing and retrieving dies may be air-powered r...
By: Don Dykstra, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 8/28/03
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Lifting the load: Applications for electric lift trucks in manufacturing 5 Star Article 

Manufacturers face relentless challenges in their efforts to meet changing demand. In their materials handling operation, these challenges include moving materials in tight spaces, providing just-in-time (JIT) delivery to production areas, and ensuring that lift trucks are available when and where t...
By: Jenifer Sopko, Contributing Writer - The FABRICATOR®, 4/10/03
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Instant Lube: The basics of automatic lubricating systems for overhead conveyors 

Less than half of the overhead conveyors stampers use have automatic lubrication systems.
By: Mel Burke, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 1/16/03
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Power-and-free conveyors provide critical path through the manufacturing course 

This article describes how power-and-free conveyors are used in manufacturing. It outlines new themes in conveyor design, systems design, control systems, and simulation software.
By: Mel Burke, Contributing Writer - The FABRICATOR®, 2/14/02
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A Case For Scrap Chopping: Cost benefits of recycling 

This article describes applications for chopping scrap from stamping operations and how to use recycling for cost containment -- as opposed to to profit building -- through more concentrated scrap hauling, better use of floor space, and enhanced employee safety.
By: Sweed Machinery, Co., Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 1/10/02
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Getting a handle on scrap removal: Efficient scrap handling keeps stamping operations running smoothly 

The ability to efficiently remove scrap from production areas affects the production up time and cost of production. Therefore, scrap removal should be part of the production planning process.
By: Bernard N. Goldstein, P.E., Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 1/10/02
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Handling metal stamping wastes: Protecting the environment - - and your business 

Metal stamping companies are required to comply with a number of regulations relating to the collection, transport, treatment, and disposal of the wastes they generate. As a result, each company must learn which materials are classfied as hazardous and how to comply with detailed regulations.
By: Rich Bravieri, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 2/19/01
Magnifying Glass IconThis article has been viewed: 3,840 times. Printer IconPrinted: 507 times
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